Portraits of the Past: Pilot's mission turns deadly, part 2

Part 2 of a 3-part series about a 1953 plane crash near Wiggins

This picture shows some of the wreckage of the F-51 Mustang airplane that crashed July 3, 1953, near Ed Erker's farm south of Wiggins. (Lowery Air Force Base / Courtesy photo)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Dwight L. Webb is pictured standing in front of an airplane sometime before his July 3, 1953, death in the crash of the F-51 Mustang he was piloting from Lowery Air Force Base over Adams, Weld and Morgan counties. (Courtesy photo)

Editor's Note: This is part of a monthly series of stories by the Community History Writers, a group of area individuals committed to documenting and writing about local history and the people, places and happenings that created the various communities within Morgan County.

An extensive investigation into the crash of the F-51 Mustang south of Wiggins the morning of July 3, 1953 was carried out over the next two months.

Eyewitness accounts, maintenance records, flight records, testimonials, and Webb's instructional papers were examined in order to make sense of the accident and the untimely death of a bright, young pilot.

Air Force Lt. Dwight L. Webb holds Linda Lou, the youngest of his four children, sometime before his July 3, 1953, death in a plane crash south of Wiggins. Linda Lou was 8 months old at the time of the crash. (Courtesy photo)

That pilot was identified as Air Force Lt. Dwight L. Webb. He was killed on impact, but his body was still strapped to the cockpit seat, which had separated from the plane and landed in the extensive debris field. His parachute was still strapped to his back indicating there had been no attempt to eject from the aircraft. His helmet and oxygen mask were found approximately 1,000 feet from his body.

"One thing that is not in the report is the missing aviator cap and watch the pilot was wearing. I saw our neighbor, Joe Duncan, wearing them for years after the crash, winter or summer," recalled Leon Erker, who witnessed the crash as a boy and continues to farm the family land near the crash site.

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Erker is not alone in his belief. Many residents in the area remember seeing Duncan sporting the watch and aviator cap. In later years it was determined that Joe Duncan suffered from an undisclosed mental illness.

The pilot killed in the crash was survived by his family. Webb was a loving husband to Grace and an adoring father to his four young children: Frederick, age 10, John, age 8, Debra, a 2-year-old, and Linda Lou, only 8 months.

This picture shows the right wing of the F-51 Mustang airplane that crashed July 3, 1953, near Ed Erker's farm south of Wiggins. The plane was coming from Lowery Air Force Base, which was about 60 miles away from the crash site. (Lowery Air Force Base / Courtesy photo)

It was John, now living in California, who came to visit with the Erkers and Midcaps last summer and to see the crash site near their farms.

Later, Laura Webb, John's wife, wrote to the Erker family saying in part, "All of the people we met, and the information we received has really helped with finding closure to a very painful time in John's life."

Korean War pilot

A respected and excellent pilot, Webb served in the Air Force during the Korean War and piloted 55 Night Intruder sorties in a B-29 bomber.

In February 1952, he was reassigned to Lowery Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, to train pilots to fly the B-29 Superfortress. There, he requested permission to fly the F-51 Mustang.

The Cuban Eight aerobatic maneuver begins with a 5/8's loop to the 45-degree line, then a ½ roll followed by 6/8's of a loop to the 45-degree line, then a ½ roll and finally 1/8's of a loop to level flight. (Wikimedia Commons / Courtesy diagram)

Undoubtedly, the small, fast, limber plane must have been more exciting than the giant B-29 Superfortress Webb had been used to piloting.

During the Korean War the F-51 Mustang began a new role in the conflict. Instead of escorting bombing raids as it had done during World War II, the P-51 was refitted with rockets, bombs and photo-reconnaissance cameras. It was renamed the F-51 in 1948, becoming a fighter aircraft instead of a pursuit aircraft. During the Korean War, the F-51 was used for ground attack.

From February 1952 to June 1953, Webb's requests to train in the F-51 were denied due to the need of B-29 pilots for training.

Request granted

The Immelman, aka a "roll-off-the-top," is an aerobatic maneuver by an airplane that includes an ascending half loop, followed by a half-roll, resulting in level flight in the exact opposite direction at a higher altitude. (Wikimedia Commons / Courtesy diagram)

On June 15, 1953, the lieutenant's request was finally granted. He was to undergo the necessary training to fly the F-51 Mustang.

Regulations required pilots who had not previously been checked out in a F-51 to complete:

1. Four hours of cockpit time and pass a blindfold cockpit check.

2. Complete the F-51 Questionnaire of the 3415th Aircraft Gunnery Group with a 100 percent score.

3. Complete the Transition Course as outlined in the six missions of at least one-hour duration.

4. Complete a formation course of sufficient duration to bring them up to desired proficiency.

5. Fly two navigation missions as outlined.

6. Complete mission checkout.

The Split S aerobatic maneuver begins with a half-roll followed by the half loop resulting in level flight in the exact opposite direction as the Immelman and at a lower altitude. (Wikimedia Commons / Courtesy diagram)

Later, in testimonials, Webb's superiors gave him glowing comments, calling him "a bug" for details which resulted a 100 percent score on his F-51 Questionnaire. Major Herman Zindler described Webb as "better than the average pilot and one of the most conscientious pilots that has flown with this flight."

Other testimonials revealed that the aircraft had been flown and found to be in perfect working order.

However, Captain Robert Keyser, Section Commander, cautioned Webb to not exceed "430 MPH due to the tail wheel being in the stationary down positions and the age of the aircraft." Major Zindler also cautioned the lieutenant about excessive speed and told him not to exceed 400 MPH.

Webb's first flight of the F-51 Mustang occurred on June 26, 1953.

Captain Keyser gave Webb a blindfold cockpit check, reviewed his technical orders and regulations, and graded his F-51 Questionnaire. Keyser then released Webb for his first transition mission.

Keyser's critique of the first mission was satisfactory, and Webb was cleared for his second transition mission. He completed that mission satisfactorily also. Transition flights No. 3 and No. 4 showed Lt. Webb to be making good progress, and Captain Keyser gave permission for the fifth mission.

Final mission

Lieutenant Webb reported for his fifth transition mission on the morning of July 3, 1953, and was noted to be in "good spirits." He seemed excited and confident for his flight.

At 11 a.m. Captain Shaw, an experienced F-51 pilot, briefed Lt. Webb for the mission as was required in the group regulations.

4. Roll out straight and level and set "G" meter while practicing steep turns with varying amounts of G's from 2-41/2, resetting the "G" meter after each turn.

5. Complete the stall series.

6. Practice the following maneuvers until proficient: barrel roll at 270 Indicated Air Speed (IAS); half-roll and reverse at 270 IAS; loop at 340 IAS with 31/2 G's; and practice additional maneuvers until proficient.

Those additional maneuvers included Immelman, Split S and Cuban Eight aerobatic maneuvers, which were used in combat to elude the enemy and for weapon delivery.

The Immelman, which was also known as a "roll-off-the-top," is an aerobatic maneuver that includes an ascending half loop, followed by a half-roll, resulting in level flight in the exact opposite direction at a higher altitude.

The Split S is the exact opposite of the Immelman and begins with a half-roll followed by the half loop resulting in level flight in the exact opposite direction at a lower altitude.

The Cuban Eight begins with a 5/8's loop to the 45-degree line, then a half roll followed by 6/8's of a loop to the 45-degree line, then a half roll and finally 1/8's of a loop to level flight.

The goal was to do the Immelman at 340 IAS, the Split S at 170 IAS at the start and the Cuban Eight at 340 IAS. But a special note in the F-51 Operations Manual had cautioned: "Note: Do not start loop, Immelman, Split S or Cuban Eight below 13,000 feet."

These maneuvers are complicated and dangerous at certain altitudes.

The final maneuver in Mission No. 5 was to return to the airfield and land.

Lieutenant Webb, who had successfully completed 55 nighttime sorties in enemy territory during the Korean War, would not complete Transitional Mission No. 5, which was conducted during daylight over friendly territory.

What could have gone so horribly wrong? How could an accomplished pilot, known for precision and attention to detail, have committed a fatal mistake?

The Air Force set out to find the answers to this mystery and activated the Aircraft Accident Board at Lowery Air Force Base.

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